It is well-known that for either stationary or portable incandescent electric lamps, reflectors are highly desirable or necessary in order to economically employ the light emanating therefrom. As a result, many different types of reflectors have been developed and used heretofore for purposes of concentrating the light in various ways and/or reflecting it suitably upon surfaces or objects, particularly in industrial applications and especially relative to lamps used by mechanics of various types, including automobile mechanics, as well as shop workers, office workers, and in many other fields of application for such lights.
It is also well-known that many reflectors in use either in the past or at present become very hot, especially around the base portions which are nearest the end of the reflector attached to either a lamp socket per se or a lamp socket holder. Users of such lights or lamps have on many occasions been burned when touching such reflector, especially when touching the same accidentally. Accordingly, numerous attempts have been made in the past to develop reflectors for electric lamps or lights which have various types of ventilation means and a somewhat common attempt to effect such ventilating means comprises the use of a pair of nested reflectors attached to each other in various ways, as well as to the lamp socket or lamp socket holder. Typical of such previous attempts are the following U.S. Patents:
______________________________________ 1,273,995 Bohan 1918 1,402,374 Papini 1922 1,430,354 Burdick 1922 1,500,639 Rekar 1924 2,016,474 Wood 1935 2,799,773 Schwartz 1957 2,878,371 Hanlin 1959 3,119,567 Schwartz 1964 Des. 167,268 Lordo 1952 ______________________________________
Among the foregoing U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,273,995 to Bohan and 2,016,474 to Wood, provide a plurality of small heat transmitting holes in the lamp socket holder in an effort to cool said socket holder. U.S. Pat. No. 1,500,639 to Rekar, provides circular rows of small holes in the innermost reflector for purposes of discharging heated air emanating from the electric bulb. U.S. Pat. No. 1,402,374 to Papini merely uses a pair of nested reflectors without providing any means by which heated air from around the lamp may readily be discharged.
The other patents in the foregoing list, namely U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,430,354 to Burdick; 2,799,773 to Schwartz; 2,878,371 to Hanlin; 3,119,567 to Schwartz; and Des. 167,268 to Lordo, employ multiple nested reflectors associated with the electric lamps or bulbs in various ways and provided with heat dispelling openings, either in a socket portion in the outermost reflector surrounding or immediately adjacent the socket which holds the electric lamp or bulb.
Notwithstanding the foregoing attempts to maintain the outermost surface of the relector means associated with electric lamps and bulbs at a relatively comfortable or safe temperature, it has been found that the problem of supplying such type of reflector has not been solved to a satisfactory extent, and it is the principal object of the present invention to provide a reflector system in which the outermost surface of the outer reflector of a nested pair of the same is maintained at a temperature which is comfortable to the touch when contacted by human flesh and therefore is rendered relatively safe in use against the danger of being actually burned if such reflector surface is contacted by human flesh. Details of such reflector system is set forth below.